misadventures in family, (in)fertility, and our future

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Insurance Can Kiss My Ass

I have no insurance coverage for infertility, other than an initial diagnostic appointment (that doesn’t include any, you know, diagnostic tests like blood work, HSG, ultrasound, etc., because that would be too fucking logical). Everything else was 100% out-of-pocket. I am so envious of those of you who a) live in states where there is mandatory coverage and b) can utilize those benefits. We used to live in a state where there was coverage, but HAHA SUCKERS it didn’t apply to us. It only applied to those individuals who used their husbands sperm. i.e. no lesbians or single women or hetero couples with severe MFI who decided to use a donor. Because obviously, those of us in the previously mentioned categories do not deserve to have children. Obviously.

ANYWAY, moving on swiftly. I had an experience today that reinforced my need for an insurance vendetta.

As I stated above, I have no insurance coverage for infertility; no monitoring, blood work, ultrasounds, procedures themselves (IUI or IVF) and definitely no prescription drug coverage. HOWEVER, once I got pregnant (ultrasound tomorrow to confirm that I am, in fact, actually still pregnant and not newly awakened from a month-long delusion/psychotic break) certain medications that I took for infertility (estrogen, progesterone) are now covered due to my pregnancy “status”. When I called to order more drugs after my BFP, I told the pharmacists my new “status” and asked joyfully what the co-pay was. The pharmacist responded that they needed to have my doctor’s office call my insurance company to confirm that I was, in fact, pregnant. This was a month and 3 refills ago. Each time the pharmacist tells me they’re going to call over to my doctor’s office and ask THEM to call my insurance company. Of course, they don’t fucking do that. Today I got a little royally pissed off vexed in a MOST ladylike way, and told them what was up.

30 minutes later, I got a call from someone at the pharmacy asking if I was pregnant. OMFG. I only told you all that a fucking MONTH ago. She promised that she would call over to my doctor’s office to have them confirm the dates of my pregnancy, so they could retroactively reimburse me for money paid out-of-pocket for the last 3 refills. An hour later I found out that my doctor’s office would only confirm my pregnancy as of May 29th, and I had called for a refill on May 28th. So that $400 haul of drugs won’t be covered.

Reading over what I wrote, maybe I should be more irritated at the pharmacy and my doctor’s office, instead of the insurance company. And yes, the pharmacy definitely dropped the ball on this one. And I’m going to have a little chat with my doctor’s office tomorrow to see WHY they claim me pregnant on May 29th when I had my positive beta on the 24th. But you know what? All of this mess would have been avoided if I had coverage in the first damn place. God.

**UPDATE: I just got my meds delivered to my office building (damn right they deliver) and the workers in the mail room made many HILARIOUS jokes about my “drugs”. HA.HA. Hilarious. Lets talk a little louder about my DRUGS when the CEO is just down the hall! Fabulous idea.

5 thoughts on “Insurance Can Kiss My Ass”

I am one of the lucky ones who does have insurance coverage for infertility. After I meet my deductible, they cover 80% of infertility costs up to $2000 a year. Because we all know how much $2k will cover. *eye roll*

Sorry you have to put up with this shit. Just start kicking people. It’ll make you feel better. 😀

How incredibly frustrating and awful to have to put up with that insurance company BS. And what a horrible, discriminatory law – infertility coverage should be mandated for everyone who needs to use it, not just some narrow subset of people.

I still remember the mini-stroke I had when the cheerful insurance rep on the other side of the line told me that the removal of the endometriosis adhesions that had affixed my bowel to my abdomen was my financial burden. “Your laparoscopy could help you get pregnant and pregnancy is a lifestyle choice akin to all other cosmetic surgeries.” Ha.. ha… ha… I still can’t discuss that phone call without having the veins pop out of my forehead.

A few months later I was conducting a national job search and targeting IF friendly states. I wound up with one of the weaker mandates (IVF will never be included), but at least I won’t be out all future lap costs. Small victories?

And don’t even get me started on the unjustness of discriminatory policies that single out same-sex couples, single mothers by choice, or individuals with a medical diagnosis that require third-party techniques. One of the largest employers in my old state would cover anything UNTIL a diagnosis of MFI was made, at which point they cut off all diagnosis, testing, and treatment funds for both the male and female partner dealing with infertility. So, suddenly visits related to women’s issues – endo, PCOS, Hashi’s, etc. – were denied because some MFI was unearthed. Members of the HR department of this large, multi-national company were trying to get employees to challenge the policy in court as discriminatory, but who is gonna stand up to an employer like that in the midst of an IF battle?

The only positive to such discriminatory policies? They usually are the one go to example that I can raise with my colleagues in the academy that inspires true outrage. My infertility is generally greeted with apathy at best and the trite “just adopt” or “why do you want kids?” suggestions at the worst. When gender politics and LGBTQ issues are attached — well, hell yea, this is something we should be advocating! I hate to view it so cynically, but I’ll take the advocacy traction wherever I can get it these days!